The Bobcats’ 2014 opponents went a combined 57-88 in 2013. Based on last season’s results, Georgia Southern was the only SBC team with a weaker schedule than Texas State.

Last season, the SBC was among the strongest non-automatic qualifying conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision. It doesn’t appear that will be case this time around.

Here are a few other observations…

1. New teams looking for bounce-back seasons

Four new schools join the SBC in 2014: Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Idaho and New Mexico State.

Maybe the Vandals and Aggies will be better in the future. But, both teams didn’t have good seasons in 2013. Idaho went 1-11 and N.M. State was slightly better at 2-10

The Mountaineers also had a down season in 2013 (4-8 record). Georgia Southern went 7-4, including an upset victory over Florida in the Swamp. But the Gators weren’t the Gators in 2013 as Will Muschamp’s team finished the season at 4-8.

Appalachian State and Georgia Southern both made the Football Championship Subdivision their home last season and it’s always a huge jump to FBS. It could be a few years before either team does well.

2. SEC schools prominent on a few schedules

For as many bad things as you could say about 2014 schedules in the Sun Belt — only Georgia State faces a slate that had a winning record in 2013 — there are a few teams that have challenged themselves against the mighty Southeastern Conference.

Seven SBC schools scheduled SEC teams. Those are Arkansas State, Idaho, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Troy, UL Lafayette and UL Monroe. The Warhawks will play the most (three; Kentucky, Louisiana State University and Texas A&M). In all, seven different SEC schools were represented on SBC schedules. In addition to the three I mentioned earlier, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State and South Carolina are also featured on SBC slates.

That’s a good thing to see from Sun Belt schools.

3. How about the Bobcats?

I like what Texas State is doing.

The Bobcats have a Big 10 school (Illinois) on their 2014 schedule and the defending national champion Florida State Seminoles on their 2015 slate.

But I want to see more.

Dennis Franchione has enough ties to schools in the SEC and Big 12 to put those teams on future schedules. You have to wonder if that SEC school 2 1/2 hours to the east would schedule Texas State. Texas A&M would be a great add for the Bobcats, but it might not be easy to make it happen.

Even so, the Bobcats probably wouldn’t have any problem getting a few other SEC schools to play them. If Texas State is able to make that happen, it will only enhance the program’s reputation and make it more attractive for bowl bids down the line.

The Bobcats stepped away from practice for one day to have a little fun.

Texas State had team captains select players for Saturday’s Maroon and Gold Game during a fantasy draft Wednesday afternoon. The Gold team was led by captains Craig Mager, Bradley Miller, Kris Petersen and Adrian Bellard, while the Maroon team was led by captains David Mayo, Ben Ijah, Tomas Luna and Matt Freeman.

Texas State’s second scrimmage of spring camp didn’t look anything like the first one.

After the offense dominated the first scrimmage, the Bobcat defense seemed motivated to show that was a fluke. Quarterback Tyler Jones and company struggled to get things going for most of Saturday’s intrasquad game. The defense had three interceptions and two fourth-down stops.

If Saturday’s scrimmage was any indication, Texas State should be set at tailback in 2014.

The Bobcats have worked throughout spring camp on refining their passing game and adjusting to an up-tempo offense. So, Saturday’s scrimmage finally offered a chance for Texas State’s crowded backfield of Robert Lowe, Terrence Franks, Chris Nutall, and Louis Rubin to shine.

Texas State head coach Dennis Franchione made one thing clear to his team during Saturday’s practice: It’s not enough to break off one big play.

C.J. Best learned that quickly. After the junior slot receiver scampered for a 40-yard run into the end zone on an option pitch from quarterback Tyler Jones during a 15-minute scrimmage, Best had a momentary lapse in concentration a few plays later.

All the talk of an up-tempo, spread offense coming to Texas State appears to more than a rumor.

Head coach Dennis Franchione spoke Monday about changes he wants to make to an offense that sputtered down the stretch as the Bobcats finished with a 6-6 record in its first season in the Sun Belt Conference. In order to compete with the top teams in the SBC, Franchione felt like an up-tempo scheme was his best option.

“I’ve always wanted to run that since I got here,” Franchione said during Monday’s press conference. “We ran 64 plays per game last year. We’d like to jump up to 75-78 (plays).”

During the offseason, Franchione looked at offenses from 12 different colleges and was impressed by a few things, namely how lethal Gus Malzahn’s wing-T offense was at Auburn last season and the 113 plays BYU ran in 47-46 win over Houston last October.

Texas State head coach Dennis Franchione takes a look at the field during a recent game.

Texas State head coach Dennis Franchione isn’t ready to crown Arkansas State, Western Kentucky or Troy. That’s just not Franchione’s mindset.

Franchione admitted that the Bobcats will probably be underdogs in the final three games of the season. After all, Texas State is a newcomer in the Sun Belt Conference and those next three opponents are league stalwarts. Plus, the Bobcats enter this weekend’s game with the Red Wolves in Jonesboro, Ark. as seven-point underdogs.

“I don’t want to give anybody credit for being better than us yet,” Franchione said Tuesday afternoon during his weekly media luncheon. “I like our team. I like our players. I like their attitude. I like their desire and hunger to do a little more.”